National Archives at St. Louis Hosts Preservation Road Show July 10 and 12Press Release · Friday, Jun 29, 2012

St. Louis Press Contact Information

St. Louis, Missouri…On Tuesday, July 10, and Thursday, July 12, the National Archives at St. Louis will host a Preservation Road Show featuring a panel discussion on preservation and a hands-on preservation workshop. Both will be held at the new National Archives facility at 1 Archives Drive (1829 Dunn Road), St. Louis, MO 63138 (next to Hazelwood East Middle School). These programs will be of particular interest to genealogists, family historians, and others interested in preserving cherished documents and photographs on paper or in digital format.

Hands-on Preservation WorkshopThursday, July 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Members of the public can bring one item from home, and Preservation Road Show professionals will answer questions and provide instruction on preservation techniques you can apply at home. They will not provide appraisal services. Allowable items include documents, photographs, home movies, scrapbooks, comic books, and artwork. Weapons of any kind (swords, guns, knives, etc.) are prohibited. Free Public Parking and shuttle service at Hazelwood East Middle School.

PHOTO IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED TO ENTER THE BUILDING.

The National Archives at St. Louis is home to more than 100 million military and civilian personnel files. It is also home to the National Archives’ largest preservation lab outside the Washington, DC, area. Preservation technicians restore and repair the fragile personnel files of men and women who have served in the armed services or worked for the Federal Government. However, the bulk of the preservation work deals with personnel files damaged by fire and water in the 1973 fire at the old Page Avenue location. In addition to treating those files, technicians work on other projects including restoration work on documents salvaged from Pearl Harbor following the attack on the U.S. Arizona.

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives is a public trust upon which our democracy depends, ensuring access to essential evidence that protects the rights of American citizens, documents the actions of the government, and reveals the evolving national experience. The National Archives, as the nation’s record keeper, holds one of the world's largest moving image repositories, with more than 360,000 reels of motion picture film titles. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at http://www.archives.gov.